Art on Etsy

This week in the Wall Street Journal (stay with me here and quit yawning...) there was an article about art and it's impact on the world.  What might surprise you is that this article just briefly touched on the monetary value of art and spent most of the page talking about the impact on human lives.  This is the beauty of art. It can bring a certain lively quality to spark your home's appeal.

Although it varies amongst clients, one thing holds true for these little pieces of heaven:  it packs a punch in a home!  Whether it is a child's homemade art work or a wildly expensive professional piece, art provides a wonderful way to enliven our otherwise dreary dwellings.  "So, Carla, where do I start with this art buying thing?"

The answer is really quite simple.  There are oodles of store out there that cater to the art novice. Various retail shops like ZGallerie, Crate & Barrel and Horchow all provide excellent beginning options while galleries offer a chance to discover a new artist.  Heck, there are even luxury establishments where one can purchase world-class collectables at outrageous prices. (In the WSJ piece that I mentioned earlier, a Salvador Dali painting went for $20 million this year as opposed to the previous years prices of only $5  million...amazing...)

In other words, what I am trying to say is that there is no one place that one should purchase their artwork.  For the Moss family and for most of America, the option to plop down $20 mil on a canvas by some old guy is not even on the radar.  This is why one of my go-to sites is the world of Etsy.  Take a visit but be savvy- there is some junk out there too.  Buyer beware.  Below are some of my favorites from Etsy.

Nicole Cohen has a bright, bold modern touch to her work.

 Janet Hill exudes delicate and feminine.

Animals that remind me of artist Charlie Harper by United Thread

Sapphire Wind by youmin

Textured "Blossom Tree" using a palette knife by Modern House Art

And perfect for summer "Sherbet Summer Love" by Erin Ashley

In addition to the artwork variety that is available, Etsy also has fabulous pillows and accessories as well.  You might want to set your phone alarm to keep you on track during your visit! Browse to your heart's content, knowing that others will be paying a lot more than you are at the Sotheby's auction to add that special touch to their homes.

happy bidding-
C

Art in the Family

Mother-in-laws get a bad wrap -- don't they?  There are sit coms written about them (picture "Everyone Loves Raymond"), there are cartoons drawn about them and songs sung about them (think Huey Lewis and the News).  Yet, the ironic thing is that these are the women that first loved our wonderful men.  So, when people ask me what prompted my dive into Interior Design, they are often shocked to discover that it is actually Diane Banks, my ever-energetic mother-in-law that provided my inspiration for this journey.  


Don't get me wrong...Both of my parents are incredible and I simply adore them.  Dad is an independent business owner and currently working on building his own boat.  Mom is a yummy baker and has made every one of my siblings at least one spectacular quilt.  Together, they have taught me practically everything I know about hard work, integrity and shooting for the stars.  But love of the arts and appreciation would come from Diane. My super mother-in-law, Diane Banks, is not only creative but also and she all teaches at James Madison University in Virginia.  This in and of itself is an accomplishment but what ranks right up there for me is the awesome analytical, financially savvy son that she raised also.  

My mother-in-law, Diane and her mother (also a fabulous painter)- still painting in her 90s!

Currently, Diane's works are on exhibit at the Textile Museum in Washington DC.  She is participating in an event called "Green the color and the cause".  This exhibit celebrates environmentalism by showcasing artists with works in such categories as: Color, Nature, Global Choice Interconnectedness, Repurposing, Sustainability and Adaptation.  Diane utilized paper, glue, wire, ink, thread and found plastic to create art out of everyday garbage.  What does it symbolize?  Nature's ability to absorb man's impact by adapting to survive and endure against great odds.

Several of her works in the exhibit

Along the many other exhibits, Diane also has two key pieces at the Smithsonian American Art Museum.  Impressive from an artist standpoint, I am just amazed at her creativity and focus. 

This is a piece entitled "Blue Cone" was completed in 1997.  Constructed of wood, glue, paint and ink it was a gift to the Smithsonian American Art Museum in honor of her son (my hubbie).

Also made of the same materials, this one is called "Red Cone" and was completed in 1996.  Gifted to the Smithsonian American Art Institute, this piece was given in honor of her daughter, Sarah.






As you can imagine, Diane is like any other passionate artist - prolific with her creations.  Since I am never one to turn down a beautiful unique hand-made piece, the Moss family has amassed quite a collection over the years.  I finally decided to dedicate a wall in our home to Diane's work and it proves to be a great draw for our friends. 

  Diane showcased in our home

She created this for us in our wedding day -- made entirely of toothpicks and eggshells.  Brilliant!

Although this is just a smattering of Diane's ability, she is far from through with her artistic journey.  With more ideas generating in her head and coming out of her hands, Diane proves that you can combine your passion and your career into one incredible package.  I hope that Diane will be of some inspiration to you as well, faithful readers!  If you find yourself in need of a bit of inspiration for your home or office, please feel free to contact me and I can connect you to her gallery.  In the meantime, look out for her works to show up in a future client installation.  


Off to create,


C

Art and my design job

I couldn't be happier with my job at Marco French Studio.  We are gearing up to design a house in lovely Palm Springs.  Marco, my boss and design master of 20 plus years, is headed out on their private jet to assess the situation while we get to drool over the pictures back at the studio.

In preparation for the new project, I forwarded Coco+kelley's timely blog to Marco.  It features artist James Nares's creative work. I thought one of his painting could be an option for the condo. 

He creates his pieces by suspending himself over a canvas in a selfmade harness.  Amazing.
  
Searching for artwork has become a favorite part of the job for me.  Marco often finds great pieces or artist and then forwards them on to his assistants to gather the details on.   I get the joy of visiting several art studios in search of the perfect piece.  I return with photographs, dimensions, pricing and then work on contacting our professional to schedule it being professional hung.


Where have I been headed to find these amazing pieces? Well, the design district of course.  Here is a quick sampling.


Holly Johnson has a great gallery and often contain very large pieces.  We have considered some of David Aylsworth pieces for a recent project.

David Aylsworth piece "I'm 41"

Another place I frequent is Conduit Gallery.  About a month ago, we had a small area needing some artwork.  As took some pictures in and two of the wonderful women there pulled out pieces they thought would work.  We had a great time holding them up while I photographed the ones that might work.  We eventually found a great piece.

Susan Barnett is one of their featured artist.  Here is a picture of Permeable and Impermeable Boundarids II and III, 2010.  Gouache on paper and is 30.5 x 44".


Craighead-Green Gallery is also another stomping grounds.  I love their space because you can really take in some of their painting.  

Their museum quality gallery.  

I love this sculture piece from J P Long, made of steel and glass.

Thie amazing work of Miami Artist Ramond Saa captured my attention too.  What detail. Created with acrylic, sumi ink and charcoal on wood.  He writes, "Being from Miami originally, I am most interested in the agressive and lush plants of the tropics and these are the plants that invade the canvas.  Their relationship to man as food or shelter or as a hindrance to him is also fascinating to me.  I reduce the 'foliage' to a monochromatic language to dramatize the drawing (or painting) with 'light' and its negative, creating a flat image; a pattern that is very separate from its original three dimensional complexity.

Restoration Hardware previously carried this "dress" by Murphy.

As for me, I'm still in love with artist Todd Murphy who creates those amazing dress paintings.   I wrote about him in a previous blog and he recently sent me a nice email stating how he enjoying reading it and that he soon would have an new website up, so stay tuned.  As some of you know, I finally ordered my treasure print from Restoration Hardware.  Several days later, I received a call from them that the shipment didn't meet the quality expectations.  And, I was out of luck.  They HAD NO MORE PAINTINGS!  I was devestated...and my huge niche remains without a pieces.  Perhaps I shall save up for an original.

I did recently discover another piece from my home by John Richard, called Golden Sky Giclee. It's fairly large (65 1/2" H x 49"w) and will take some time to install so I don't have any pictures of it quite yet.   I found it on sale, of course, at Horchow Finale.  Not only was it on sale, but I had my 40% coupon off one item, so I got it for a steal.  


As you can see, art is a huge part of the design world and I can't get enough of it.  I've been waiting patiently for my upcoming Art History Classes, but I 'm still treading through those entry-level drawing classes.  Which explains why this blog is pretty choppy.  Last night I was up past 1 AM drawing floor plans for my Space Planning final....


Until the next piece,


C

The Dress

Every girl dreams of the perfect dress.  We dream of our Easter dress, we dress up in our princess costumes and we even have a whole television show dedicated to finding just the perfect one for our wedding day.  Dresses mean a lot to women.

For those of you who are crazy-in-the-head for Veranda magazine like I am, you have probably already devoured this month’s issue along with me.  In this particular issue, there was “the” dress that I have been dreaming of for years...It has absolutely nothing to do with clothing and everything to do with design.  “The” dress is a Todd Murphy creation. 

September 2010 issue of Veranda, page 106. Notice the dress in the painting over the mantle. 

Todd Murphy makes the perfect dress - in artwork form! I remember when this infatuation with the dress began...Christmas 2006, and I’ve been dreaming of it ever since.

The movie “The Holiday” had just hit the theaters and I was (unabashedly) one of the first in line for it.  Nancy Meyer (the set decorator for the movie) is one of my favorite inspirations.  She was the creator of the sets in “Somethings Gotta Give” and I wasn’t about to miss out on this one.

Nancy Meyer’s living room in Something’s Gotta Give. 

The house in “Father of the Bride” - also another Nancy Meyer creation.

More recently in “It’s Complicated”

 Back to the movie, “The Holiday”....I easily identified with the character Amanda Woods played by Cameron Diaz.  Being a bit of a workaholic, Cameron’s role hit close to home for me.  Despite the fact that I enjoy a challenge as much as the other person, I am really quite fun!  The scene where her character is singing at the top of her lungs has happened to me a time or two but I digress.  The movie was something that I truly enjoyed but the one thing that I couldn’t take my mind off of was “the dress”. 

The artwork in the entry way of the LA home in the movies was spectacular and so simple.  I couldn’t take my eyes off of it.  While others were watching the movie unfold in front of them, I was gawking at the artwork.  Nerdy, I know.  When I finally purchased the DVD, I would stop it when the scene below came up with the dress in it.  It’s breath-taking.  

Surely, I couldn’t be the only one who noticed this?  And this can’t be the only photo of the artwork..I have no idea if this piece in the movie is a Todd Murphy or not but it did further solidify my longing for a collectable such as this.

Then slowly I began to see more of those dress pictures.  Isn’t that the way it always works - an artist gets a big break in the movie and goes on to fame and fortune. 

This is another one of Todd’s pieces in Metropolitan Home Magazine (also featured in an entry way).

This is one of three of the dresses at the Jackson Fine Art Museum in Atlanta form Murphy.

This one, gracing an Atlanta Home, is a prize possession of the owner named Best. The following is a quote from the article: “Best purchased this Todd Murphy painting after a fortuitous meeting with the artist at the restaurant Two Urban Licks. Among Best's considerable artwork, this piece, to which he was instantly drawn, is his favorite. ‘The way it jumps off the screen is so real,’ he says. ‘If I stand here for a while, I could almost envision a face above the dress.’”

I think that sums up the beauty and draw of Todd Murphy’s dresses.  They are designed to insert the perfect woman (whatever your vision may be) into the artwork.  So simple, so stunning.

Although only a few paintings of the perfect dress exist, this Chicago native Todd Murphy is truly outstanding.  But I had to move on..with 2 young boys and a large school bill, there was no way that a Todd Murphy was ever going to come live at my house.  Until 

Enter Restoration Hardware.  Recently, in the their catalog, I spotted the Todd Murphy dress!  Being a print of an original, it’s a tad more affordable at $1795.  Not exactly small change but totally doable if all the forces in the universe align just so (are you listening loved ones-- think birthday, Christmas, V-Day and all other major gift-giving events combined.)  With a little creative thinking, I am sure that 100 or so gift cards to Restoration Hardware could ease our sticker shock.  Wouldn’t that make for an interesting blog....

The perfect piece on the Restoration Hardware catalog pages.  It would look so yummy in my house!

No need to even think about where this should go.  I have a huge  niche in my entry way that I have been saving for just the right thing for several years now.  Coordinating with the black upright piano, a Todd Murphy would perfectly enhance the space.

All of the current decorating faux pas aside, the space that currently holds the fake flowers and the trunk would be the new home for “the dress”.  Hunting Coat Red also disappears next month...patience is a decorator’s virtue.

The perfect dress.  I think its time to take the plunge.  Quit dreaming of it and start living it.  Long gone are the days of princesses and brides - replaced by grown up realities.  Perhaps I should stop dreaming and start studying with the hopes of earning some new clients and thus being able to finally get the dress of my grown up dreams.

TTFN (ta-ta-for-now),

C